


Little Surprises

by Liz_87



Category: Casualty (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24538405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liz_87/pseuds/Liz_87
Summary: A little post-ep to the Chuffy wedding. A sequel of sorts to But You Shouldn't Have. Series 31.
Relationships: Lisa "Duffy" Duffin/Charlie Fairhead
Kudos: 3





	Little Surprises

The journey home from the reception gave Charlie ample opportunity to admire his gorgeous new wife. His wife. That was something he had been beginning to fear he would never get to call the amazing woman that sat beside him. Especially that morning when he'd woken up in a Welsh police cell with the worst hangover he'd had for a long time! So many years, so many missed opportunities, but they'd finally made it. The future was theirs for the taking. 

Though she was trying to pretend she hadn't noticed his stares, Charlie could see the blush that was creeping up Duffy's cheeks. She finally caught his eye in the rearview mirror. 

"I am trying to concentrate on the road, Charlie!" She smiled. 

"Oh so I'm not allowed to admire my beautiful wife then?" 

She rolled her eyes and chuckled as she turned the car around a corner and brought it to a stop outside their house. They exited the car and walked up to the front door. Duffy removed the keys from her handbag and unlocked the door. She pushed it open and was about to step inside when Charlie placed his hand on her shoulder. 

"Wait a second!" 

Duffy looked from Charlie to the open doorway and then back up to her husband. The realisation hit her. 

"No!" He flashed a puppy dog expression at her. She remained unconvinced. "You'll drop me!" 

"Oh come on Duffy, you're not that heavy!" He laughed. 

She scowled and he let out a hiss as she punched him in the arm. Seeing the look of pain cross his face she immediately softened. 

"I wish you'd tell me what you've done to that arm, Charlie."

"And I wish you'd stop trying to have our first argument as a married couple on our doorstep. Now come here!" 

Laughing she placed her arm around his shoulders and hung on for dear life as he swept her off her feet and through the doorway. 

He placed her back on her feet and, cupping her face with his hands, gave her a gentle kiss. 

"Right, Mrs Fairhead, if you'd like to get two glasses from the kitchen, I'll go fetch that very expensive looking bottle of champagne from the car and meet you in the lounge." 

Quickly collecting the bottle, he returned to the hallway and, after checking she was still in the kitchen, he quietly dashed up the stairs to their bedroom where he retrieved the box he had stashed away many years previously and placed it in his inside pocket. 

Entering the lounge he opened the bottle, managing to shower both of them with the contents as he did. Duffy took the bottle from him, handing him a glass and poured them both some champagne. She raised her glass to his. 

"Cheers!" 

Swallowing a large gulp of his drink, Charlie took a deep breath and reached for the box in his pocket. He held it out towards Duffy with a shy look on his face. 

"I, um, I have a present for you." 

Taking the box from him she looked momentarily confused. "I didn't realise we were getting each other presents Charlie. I don't have anything to give you." 

"Don't worry about that, will you please just open it?" 

Smiling impishly she opened the box. Inside was a silver bracelet. She turned to face Charlie, her eyes beginning to sparkle with tears. 

"It's beautiful! Thank you." 

She slipped the pearl bracelet she was wearing off her wrist and placed it on the coffee table. She then held out her wrist and the bracelet towards Charlie. He took it from her and fastened it around her left wrist. 

"I knew the minute that I saw it that you'd love it." 

"I don't recognise the designer though, where did you get it from?" 

"That's probably because they went out of business about 10 years ago." He smiled at her confused facial expression. "I've had this bracelet a long time, a little over 16 years in fact." 

"I don't understand Charlie."

"I originally bought it for your 40th birthday. I wanted to give you something that would show you how special you were, and still are, to me." He gently took hold of her wrist and ran his finger along the bracelet. "You see how each strand twists around the other? Sometimes they're moving apart from each other but they always come back together. Just like you and me."

Choked with emotion, she was forced to clear her throat before she could speak. "Why didn't you give it to me then? Why wait all this time?" 

He sighed and ran his fingers down the side of her cheek. "Fear. That's what it boiled down to in the end. Fear that it would disrupt the delicate balance that existed between us. Fear that you would panic because I'd pushed too hard causing you to reject both it and me, thus destroying everything between us." 

"Oh Charlie!" She reached out with her fingertips to catch the tear that was rolling down his cheek. Her own cheeks were also damp with tears. She placed a tender kiss on his lips. She looked deep into his eyes. "You never have to feel that fear ever again. I'm not going anywhere. This is forever."

Pulling back she once again picked up the champagne bottle from the coffee table. Standing up, she motioned for Charlie to follow her through to the kitchen. Sat on the table were two folded blankets. Reaching into the fridge she pulled out a bowl of strawberries that had been dipped in chocolate. 

"Pick up the blankets and follow me." She told him. 

She unlocked the door and flicked a switch before walking out into the garden. A row of fairy lights twinkled along the fence giving a gentle light to the small garden. She placed the strawberries and champagne on the little table next to the swing seat at the bottom of the garden. 

Charlie looked around the garden in wonderment. "When..?" 

Duffy smiled. "Well I needed to find something to fill my evening whilst you were off galevanting round Wales last night!" 

Taking the blankets from him, she placed one on the the swing seat and sat down, patting the spot beside her. Once he had sat down she draped the other blanket over them both. She grabbed the bowl and placed it on her lap as she snuggled up to him. 

Plucking a strawberry from the bowl she held it up to his lips. He did the same to her. She took a bite but before she had chance to eat the rest of the strawberry he smeared the juice down her nose. 

"You're such a child, Charlie Fairhead!" 

"No, you're just a messy eater!" 

Laughing, she rested her head back on his chest and simply watched the stars overhead.


End file.
